Floppy disc systems utilize a thin pliant magnetic disc contained within a cover jacket for recording data. In order to increase data storage capacity, floppy disc systems have been proposed which utilize both sides of the floppy disc for data recording. In one such system, a pair of pliant support arms is used to locate a pair of transducer heads on opposite sides of the floppy disc in an orientation having the transducer heads parallel to the axis of rotation of the floppy disc and arcuately spaced with respect to such axis. The pliant support arms cause the transducer heads to embrace the disc and cause it to have a wavy contour over the transducer heads, with stabilizing platforms adjacent the heads providing a stabilizing effect on the disc. Due in large part to the substantial contact between the stabilizing platforms and the disc, large frictional forces are present in the described system and those forces tend to produce substantial wearing of the disc. Also, with both transducer heads supported in a compliant manner, there is excessive vibration and oscillations of both heads which causes the disc/head spacing to vary and also contributes to wearing of the disc.
Another floppy disc system that records data on both sides of the floppy disc utilizes a fixed transducer head on one side of the disc and a compliant transducer head on the other side of the disc, with both heads aligned along a common axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc. To reduce frictional forces, the compliant head has a low mass. However, a head with a low mass is prone to excessive oscillation which can cause excessive variations in disc/head spacing and can result in head/disc contact and resultant wearing of the disc and heads.
The shortcomings of the prior art systems point out the need for a double sided floppy disc system with a head structure which reduces frictional forces between the heads and the disc and which reduces the oscillations of both heads, such that a nearly constant head/disc spacing is achieved and wear of the disc and heads is minimized.